Franco van der Merwe
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
15 March 1983 Paarl, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Weight | 116 kg (18 st 4 lb) | ||
| School(s) attended | Hartswater High School | ||
| University | North-West University | ||
| Club information | |||
| Playing position | Lock | ||
| Current club | Ulster | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2004 | Leopards | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Pts)† |
| 2004–2006 | Leopards | 58 | (40) |
| 2006–2014 | Golden Lions | 104 | (50) |
| 2007–2014 | Lions | 85 | (35) |
| 2013 | → Sharks | 16 | (0) |
| 2014–present | Ulster | 23 | (15) |
| Representative team(s)‡ | |||
| 2004 | South Africa Under-21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2009 | Emerging Springboks | 1 | (0) |
| 2013 | South Africa | 1 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 1 April 2015. | |||
Franco van der Merwe (born 15 March 1983 in Paarl) is a South African rugby union footballer. His regular playing position is lock, although he can also operate as a flanker. He represents Irish side Ulster in the Pro12, having previously played for the Lions in Super Rugby and the Leopards and the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup.
He also joined the Sharks on loan for the 2013 Super Rugby season.[1]
Van der Merwe has been included in several Springbok squads since June 2012 and finally made his debut in the 2013 Rugby Championship match against New Zealand.[2]
He left the Lions to join Irish side Ulster prior to the 2014–15 Pro12 season.[3] He signed a two-year deal starting on 1 August 2014.
References
- ↑ "Lions to confirm mass exodus". Sport24. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ↑ "All Blacks break Springboks' hearts in epic". ESPN. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ↑ "Franco replaces Johann at Ulster". Rugby365. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
External links
- "SA Rugby Player Profile – Franco van der Merwe". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- Lions profile
- itsrugby.co.uk profile